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v.ii.

v. 16.

v.17.

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sume it, let them perish," &c. Its state had been described before.

(k) "Let thy hand," &c. This seems capable of two meanings; either, 1st, Give thy assistance as before to thy chosen people, the Jews, whom thou hadst distinguished as though thou hadst placed them on thy right hand, and whom thou hadst made so strong, &c.; or, 2dly, Let thy vengeance fall upon those to whom thou hast given strength for no other purpose but to be the instruments of thy wrath. In Ps. xvii. 13, 14. the ungodly are called " a sword of God's," and "the men of God's hand;" and see Isaiah x. 5.

(1) An hymn for the Feast of Trumpets, the first day of the seventh month, calling upon the people to join in praises

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and thanksgivings to God, reminding them of the deliverance from Egypt, and insinuating that it was nothing but their disobedience which kept them from God's protection and from his choicest blessings. According to Numb. x. 10. "In the "days of their gladness, in their solemn "days, and in the beginnings of their "months, they were to blow with their "trumpets over their burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of their peace-offer

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ings;" but in "the seventh month, on "the first day of the month, they were "to have an holy convocation; they 66 were to do no servile work, it was to "be a day of blowing the trumpets" Numb. xxix. 1.-Levit. xxiii. 23, 24 And this day was accordingly called the Feast of Trumpets. On the tenth day of the same month was the day of atonement, Lev. xxxiii. 27 to 32.-Numb. xxix. 7 to 11. and from the 15th to the 22d, after they had gathered in the fruit of the land, was the feast of tabernacles. Levit. xxiii. 34 to 43.-Numb. xxxx. 12 to 39. The object of this Psalm might be to fix their minds upon God and the favour he had always shewn them, except in times of disobediente, before the great day of atonement.

0.3.

v.6.

v.6.

2 Take the psalm, bring hither the tabret : the merry harp with the lute.

3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon (m): even in the time appointed, and upon our solemn feast day.

4 For this was made a statute for Israel and a law of the God of Jacob.

v.8.

:

5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony: when he came out of the land of Egypt, and had heard a strange language.

6" I (n) eased his shoulder "from the burden (o): and his "hands were delivered from "making the pots.

7 "Thou calledst upon me "in troubles, and I delivered "thee and heard thee, what "time as the storm fell upon << thee.

8" I proved thee (p) also: at "the waters of strife.

9 "Hear (9), O my people, " and I will assure thee, O "Israel if thou wilt hearken 66 unto me,

10

"There shall no strange

(m) "New moon."

The reading should perhaps be, "the beginning of the "month." See 3 Shuckf. Connect.

Pref. xx.

(n) 1," &c. From hence to the end of the Psalm, God himself is supposed to be the speaker.

(o)" The burden." According to Exod. i. 11. the Egyptians set taskmasters over the Israelites, " to afflict "them with their burdens.” And according to Exod. v. 4. Pharoah ordered them "to their burdens," viz. the making of bricks.

(p) "Proved thee," i. e. (perhaps) gave you a proof of my power and watchfulness over you. When the Israelites murmured for want of water in the wilderness, and Moses smote the rock and produced a supply, he called the place

"god be in thee neither shalt "thou worship any other god.

II" I am the Lord thy God, "who brought thee out of the "land of Egypt: open thy "mouth wide, and I shall fill it.

12 "But my people would not "hear my voice and Israel "would not obey me.

13" So I gave them up unto "their own hearts' lusts and "let them follow their own ima⚫ "ginations.

14 "O that my people would "have hearkened unto me : for "if Israel had walked in my

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Meribah, because the Children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them. Numb. xx. I to 13. xxvii. 14.-Deut. xxxiii. 8.

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(q)" Hear," &c. This (probably) v.9. was only calling to their recollection the assurances he had made their fathers, in Exodus, (see Exod. xix. 5, 6.-xx. 2, 3, 23.-and xxiii. 24 to 26.) And he reminds them, in verse 12. that it was to their disobedience that the calamities they had experienced were to be imputed.

(r) Liars," i. e. in insinuating that v.16. he was not the true God. The same ex

pression occurs, Ps. lxvi. 2. “ Through "the greatness of thy power shall thine "enemies be found liars unto thee."

(s) For "he," the reading should . 17. probably be "I"

February 16.

Lessons for the Sixteenth Day of the Month throughout the Year.

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January 16.

Morn. Gen. xxix. Matt. xiv.

Even. Gen. xxx. Rom. xiv.

May 16:

Morn. 2 Kings xiv, Matt. xiv.

Even. 2 Kings xv. Rom. xv. (4)

September 16,

Morn. Zeph. i.
Matt. xvii.

Even. Zeph. ii.
I Cor. i. (7)

Morn. Numb. xx. Mark. xvi. (1)

Even. Numb. xxi.

2 Cor. xii.

June 16.

Morn,Jobxxvi. xxvii. Mark xvi. (5)

Even. Job xxviii.

2 Cor. xiii.

October 16.

Morn. Wisd. vii. Luke ii. (8)

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Even. Wisd. viii. Gal. ii.

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judge not for man, but for the Lord, "who is with you in the judgment: "wherefore now let the fear of the Lord "be upon you: take heed and do it, "for there is no iniquity with the Lord

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our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts." And Isaiah's complaint (about 760 years before our Saviour's birth) was this: "Thy princes

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less see that such as are in need and necessity have right.

4 Deliver the outcast and poor: save them from the hand of the ungodly.

5 They will not be learned, nor understand, but walk on still in darkness: all the foundations of the earth (z) are out of course.

6 I have said, "Ye are

bably in Isaiah's time that this Psalm was written.

(u)"Standeth in," &c. i. e. as in 2 Chron. xix. 6. he is with them in the judgment.

(x)" Princes," and "gods," i. e. the highest earthly tribunals.

This

(y)" Accept the persons." is a Scripture phrase for "deciding par "tially, out of regard to one of the con "tending parties." See Levit. xix. 16.Deut. i. 16, 17.-Job xiii. 7, 8. 10.xxxii. 21.—Luke xx, 21.—Gal. ii. 6.— and James ii. 9.

(x) "Foundations of the earth," i.e. o.! (probably) the principles of justice, rectitude, &c. the basis of all government. It is probably in the same sense that the expression is used, Ps. xi. 3. “The founda

6.

7.

"gods (a) and ye are all the "children of the Most Highest;"

7 But ye shall die like men: and fall like one of the princes(b).

8 Arise, O God, and judge thou the earth for thou shalt take all heathen to thine inheritance.

Psalm lxxxiii. (c) HOLD not thy tongue, O God, keep not still silence: refrain not thyself, O God.

2 For lo, thine enemies make a murmuring and they that hate thee have lift up their head.

3 They have imagined craftily against thy people and taken counsel against thy secret(d) ones.

4 They have said, "Come, "and let us root them out, that "they be no more a people: " and that the name of Israel (e)

"tions will be cast down; and what hath "the righteous done?"

(a) "Gods," i. e. as gods; supreme in power, &c.

(b) For "princes," the reading should probably be, "poor," "outcasts." It is saying nothing, (at least nothing in unison with the context,) to say of the princes, that they should fall like one of the princes.

(c) A prayer to God for assistance, at the time of some powerful combination of the heathen nations against Israel or Judah. It is generally supposed to have been written in the time of Jehoshaphat, (about 896 years before the birth of Christ), when the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and others, came up against him to battle, and he proclaimed a fast, and all Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord. See 2 Chron. xx. It might perhaps belong to an earlier period, before the people were divided into two kingdoms, and passed under the general name of Israel, see verse 4; possibly to David's time, about 1035 years before the birth of Christ, when the children of Ammon sent to hire chariots and horses out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria Maachah,

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(d) Secret," i. e. chosen; such as, v.3. according to Psalm xxvii. 5. he would "hide in his tabernacle in the time of

trouble, and in the secret place of his "dwelling," &c.

(e) Israel." Jehoshaphat was king v. 4. of Judah only. The kingdom of Israel, or of the ten tribes, was in his time under Ahab, and under Ahaziah his son.

(ƒ) "Children of Lot," i. e. the V. 8. Moabites and Ammonites.

(g) "Midianites." All their males v. 9. and part of their women were slain; the rest were carried away captive; their cities were burnt; and their cattle and goods spoiled. This was in the time of Moses, about 1452 years before the birth of Christ. See Numb. xxxi.

(b) "Sisera," and "Jabin." This v. 9. occurrence was about 1316 years before the birth of Christ. See Judges iv..

(i) "Oreb and Zeb," "Zeba and v.11. "Salmana." About 1249 years before

make all their princes like as Zeba and Salmana;

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"Let us take

12 Who say, "to ourselves: the houses of "God in possession."

13 O my God, make them like unto a wheel (k): and as the stubble before the wind;

14 (1) Like as the fire that burneth up the wood and as the flame that consumeth the mountains (m).

15 Persecute them even so with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storm.

16 Make their faces ashamed, O Lord that they may seek thy Name.

17 Let them be confounded and vexed ever more and more : let them be put to shame, and perish.

18 And they shall know, that thou, whose Name is Jehovah : art only the Most Highest over all the earth.

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2 My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

3 Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house, and the swallow a nest, where she may lay her young even thy altars, O'Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be alway praising thee.

5 Blessed is the man whose. strength is in thee in whose heart are thy ways.

6 Who going through the vale of misery, use it for a well (o): and the pools are (p) filled with

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